My two years serving the people of the Philippines as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Monday, October 21, 2013

October 21 A baptism in the ocean

This
email made me smile for sure and I am way happy right now. Pops thank
you so much for your great email I always love getting your emails as
well as mamas because i can just tell it is from my pops and I can just
tell when it is from my beautiful mama. Life is super great and I am way
happy and even though life in Bangui as of missionary work is going
pretty hard right now, i am still way happy. So to answer the questions,
I am really good with whatever you wanna send me in that Christmas
package, don't underestimate chocolate getting across and not melting
because it will be fine. Elder G got a package the other day just
full of candy and chocolate so your good. I miss chocolate kinda haha
they don't have it really here and if they do it isn't really that good
haha. but i love the Philippines so dang much and I am always being
blessed by being able to be here. Have i told you how flipp'en beautiful
it is here?! i am in an amazing part of the world haha. I haven't
received my package of the medicine but it should be here soon i hope!!
I didn't feel the big earthquake it didn't hit us but to be honest we
have mini earthquakes all of the time and they last for about 1 minute
and then go away. They aren't that strong though but still they feel
super weird!!!

So first of all I don't have a bunch of time so I cant respond
to everything you said but just now that I read it and really enjoyed
all of that and keeping me updated on the fam. Chels and Bret are
awesome and they are two really good examples for me of just hard
workers. I am sure they are doing great. Big brother and Kayley seem
like they
are so happy I loved the pic you sent me of them ahaha I miss their
faces! Mac and J are the best and I bet they are so dang excited for
their child. I am super dooper excited to see a picture of that
baby girl. COOP my lil brother I am proud and happy for you. it is about
time someone lived that Clark name up to its potential in sports
hahahaha stupid knees!!! jk hah but really i am way happy for you buddy
and it is a blessing from God that you don't have the hard decision of
deciding between football and a mission. First seek the kingdom of God
and his righteousness then all the other things will be added upon you. I
know as you do that little brother, your heavenly father will keep
blessing you. work hard baby!

So pops you flew solo? I cant imagine doing that, you are
way talented like really talented. Sometimes i just think about how
talented my family is and it just blows me away every time. I love my fam
so much for sure. So mama i know it wasn't your turn to email me this
week but I love you and I just want you to know you are the best mama in
the world and your son here in the Philippines is doing the Lords work
and is happy as can be.

So for the work!!!!!!!! this last Saturday was C's
baptism and it was the coolest thing in the world. he wanted to be
baptized in the ocean so guess what we did, we baptized him in the
ocean! this was honestly such a powerful expierience for me and
especially for him. this brother has been through so much and if you
could just here one of his stories you would be blown away. Right before
he was baptized he just said I know that i am about to be clean of
everything that i have done, i cant wait for this. After the baptism he
put his two hands in the air and just gave me a hug and just was so
thankful for his heavenly father. He the next day received the gift of
the holy ghost and you can just see the change in him now, he is just
glowing and such a great example for his family. His wife now has a
baptismal date and hopefully the rest of his family will want to listen.

The other part of work is just that our investigators are
having sturggles coming to church and upang na magpabinyag haha whoops
in order to be baptised they have to go to church 4 time so that is
sometimes difficult but they will come we know. Elder D is such a
goof. Seriously this kid is the goofiest and funniest filipeno I have
met. I really feel like he is my son and I am his dad hahaha that is our
relationship but it is so great. He is way
awesome though and we have so much fun and laugh so much haha maybe a
lil to much sometimes. I love the guy though he truly is a friend and so
talented and has such a big desire to serve his Lord.

So other then that I don't have much to say but just I
know that the reason I am happy and truly feel true happiness in my
heart is because of my savior Jesus Christ and his atonement for me and
his Gospel. It is hard to describe the feelings that God can give us
because they are not feelings of man they are pieces of Gods happiness
and Gods love for us and I know the way to feel that love and true
happiness is only through him and his way. We have a Father in Heaven
and he does love us and he does want the very best for his Children. I
am a Child of God and I know he loves me and I know the work that I am
truly doing here in the Philippines is not a vacation, i am an
instrument of God to help his children know of the right path to follow
and know of how to become truly happy in their lives. I am helping and
inviting others to come unto their savior Jesus Christ. This is the
greatest work here on earth and I am so blessed to be apart of it. I
love being a missionary because I know that the message we hold is true
and it is the message of our father in heaven.

I love you all so much and I especially love my family and i miss you for sure:)